Joint for tubular structure

ABSTRACT

A tubular structure has end posts, intermediate posts and rails which extend between the end posts and intermediate posts. For fastening the rails to a post use is made of a T joint at the top of the post and a cross joint at an intermediate location. For the cross leg of the T joint a hole is made on one side of the cross leg of the same diameter as the post, a square end of the post is pushed in the hole and a weld is applied on the interior of the cross leg to anchor the parts together. A sleeve is inserted into the end of the cross leg with part protruding and this also anchored by a weld applied to the interior. Each end of the rail is then merely slid over the protruding part of the sleeve at each opposite post and no welding appears on the exterior which may need to be ground off.

States Patet [191 Snyder et a1.

JOINT FOR TUBULAR STRUCTURE Inventors: Donald E. Snyder, La Habra; Roy

W. Batcheller, West Covina, both of Calif.

Crane-Veyor Corporation, South El Monte, Calif.

Filed: Aug. 14, 1972 App]. No.: 280,516

Assignee:

us. c1 256/59, 256/65, 287/54 rm. c1 E0411 17/14 Field of Search 256/21,22, 24, 59, 65;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Jan. 22, 1974 2,999,671 9/1961Blayden 256/65 3,333,873 8/1967 Triplett 287/56 X PrimaryExaminer-Dennis L. Taylor [57] ABSTRACT A tubular structure has endposts, intermediate posts and rails which extend between the end postsand intermediate posts. For fastening the rails to a post use is made ofa T joint at the top of the post and a cross joint at an intermediatelocation. For the cross leg of the T joint a hole is made on one side ofthe cross leg of the same diameter as the post, a square end of the postis pushed in the hole and a weld is applied on the interior of the crossleg to' anchor the parts together. A sleeve is inserted into the end ofthe cross leg with part protruding and this also anchored by a weldapplied to the interior. Each end of the rail is then merely slid overthe protruding part of the sleeve at each opposite post and no weldingappears on the exterior which may need to be ground off.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 2 21974 I IG 0 $13? JOINT FORTUBULAR STRUCTURE Although hand rails made of tubular stock of some kindare in wide and common 'use for balconies, stairways, walkways and thelike, there are features inherent in conventional construction whichmeet some obje'ction. Concededly, hand rails made of iron pipe withthreaded fittings are low in cost and provide adequate strength but theyare not capable of presenting a finished neat appearance, they requireappreciable maintenance because of the material from which they are madeand are time-consuming to install.

Where welded tubing has been resorted to, it has not been found feasibleto assemble all parts on the site and a problem arises whensubassemblies consisting of posts with necessary fittings are awkward tostore and transport to the site where the installation is to be made. Onthose occasions where tubular assemblies employ welded fittings, thewelds have been made on the exterior and in order to offer a smooth,neat, finished appearance welds have had to be ground off, adding to thecost. Where posts provided with adequate fittings have been made ofmaterial such as aluminum with fittings welded in place, anodizing orotherwise treating the subassembled posts and fittings has presentedproblems in that large treating tanks are invariably necessary becauseof the size of the subassemblies, especially in that all exterior weldsmust be completed and finished before the treating step.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new andimproved tubular structure which is relatively low in cost and whichpresents an especially acceptable neat appearance when completed andinstalled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved jointfor tubular structure wherein all welding operations are entirely on theinterior of the tubular units, thereby preserving a smooth and neatexterior surface on which no special machining needs to be performed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedjoint for tubular structure which by confining all welding tothe-interior and by maintaining fittings relatively small in length andof adequate design, makes it possible to employ subassemblies of postswith fittings'which occupy virtually a minimum amount of room therebymaking possible the use of relatively small tanks in treatingtheexterior and also making transportation to the site where thestructure is to be installed less awkward and, consequently, cheaper.

Further included among the objects of the invention is to provide a newand improved joint for tubular structure of such design and characterthat when necessary the entire structure can be erected at the site,special construction being confined to the posts and, hence, making .itpossible to employ straight tubular sections for the rails which need nospecial handling or fitting other than to be cut off to proper length,the structure moreover being free of employment of mechanical fastenerswhich, if used, might readily corrode or work loose.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement, and combi nation of the various parts of thedevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafterset forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illus trated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a finished tubular structure in placeon the site where it is to be used.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view partially in section taken on the circularline 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational phantom view of the jointintermediate the top and bottom of a post.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view on the line 77 of FIG. 1.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustrationthere is-shown a tubular structure indicated generally by the referencecharacter 10 which consists of a hand raid extending across a horizontalsurface 1 l and directed downwardly over a sloping surface 12. In thechosen embodiment there is an end post assembly 13 and two intermediatepost assemblies 14 and 15. Holes 16 are initially made in the surface 11for reception of the post assemblies set in grout or concrete 17.

For the end post assembly 13, by way of example, there is provided avertical post 20 having a top fitting for a rail 21 and an intermediatefitting for a rail 22. The top fitting consists of a tubular leg member23 one end of which protrudes on one side of the post 20 and the otherend of which protrudes on the other. Inasmuch as this is an end postassembly, a cap 24 is used to close the opening in the otherwise exposedlefthand end of the tubular leg member 23.

As shown to good advantage in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, a hole 25 is made onone side of the tubular leg member 23 at a location intermediateopposite-ends, the hole 25 being of substantially the same diameter asthe outside diameter of the post 20. The hole, moreover, extends intothe tubular leg member 23 a distance about equal to its radius. Formingthe hole as described and of the diameter made reference to, the holeappears to have a somewhat V shape when viewed in side elevation asshown in FIG. 1. There are also provided shoulders 26 and 27, presentbecause of the thickness of the wall of the tubular leg member 23, wherethe hole stops at the diametrical midpoint.

When the tubular leg member is applied to the top of the post to formthe fitting, the post is pushed into the hole 25 to its full depth untilit abuts the shoulders 26 and 27 and there held while a weldment 29a ismade on.

the interior of the tubular leg member around the outside circumferenceof the post at a location inside the tubular leg member.

For this particular end-post assembly, one end only of the tubular legmember is provided with a cylindrical retainer 28 here having theform ofa sleeve. The exterior circumference of the retainer 28 is of suchdimension as provides a sliding fit within the inside circumference ofthe leg member 23, the length of the retainer being such that when itabuts the exterior of the leg 20 during makeup of the joint, or perhapsthe weldment extending around it, there is an appreciable portion of theretainer extending beyond the outermost end of the leg member. Aweldment 29, entirely on the interior, is employed to anchor theretainer in position within the end of the leg member.

In order to preserve the structural strength as well as the appearanceof the post 20, the fitting intermediate the top and the bottom of thepost is constructed somewhat differently from that at the top. Toaccomplish this use is made of a tubular mid-position leg 30 providedwith a notch 31 at one end which has a shape complementary to theexterior contour of the post 20. The mid-position leg 30 is secured tothe post 20 by an interior weldment 32. The same weldment 32 may beemployed to anchor in position a cylindrical retainer 33 here likewisehaving the form of a sleeve, one portion of which is located entirelywithin the mid-position leg and another portion of which is exposed.

A tubular leg member 35 for the intermediate post assembly 14 is mountedon a post 36 in the same manner as the tubular leg member 23 except thatthere are two cylindrical retainers, one on each end of the leg member,which are installed and anchored in the same manner as the cylindricalretainer 28. Similarly, intermediate the top and the bottom of the post,there are two mid-position legs 37 and 37a constructed and mounted inposition in a manner similar to that described for the mid-position leg30.

For the intermediate post assembly 15 where a horizontal relationship nolonger prevails, tubular leg members 38, 39, 40 and 41 are all fastenedto a post 42 in the same manner as has been described for the tubularmid-position leg 30, the only difference being that notches for the legmembers 38 and 40 need be made in an oblique direction to conform to theangular relationship desired.

When the structural assembly is to be installed, the holes 16 are madein proper alignment following conventional practice. Post assemblies 13,14, 15, etc., are then laid out ready for erection. By measuring centerline to center line of the holes 16 the length of rails 21, 22, 43, 44,etc., can be determined by subtracting from the center line to centerline distance a length equivalent to that occupied by the tubular legmembers involved. in actual practice this is a distance of about incheswhen l /5 inch tubing is employed. The rails are cut off square and needno machining other than to trim off possible burrs. With all parts readyfor installation, as described, a quantity of quick-setting cement ispoured into the bottom of the holes 16, rails are applied over thecylindrical retainers protruding from the legs on the post assembliesand the posts then set in the holes 16 where initially they may bewedged in position by employment of conventional wooden wedges. Toprevent the rails from rotating, epoxy adhesive may be applied to theinteriors of the ends of the rails where they are applied over theretainers. The posts are plumbed and aligned until the cement sets afterwhich wedges are removed and the holes then filled with cement.Constructed and erected as described, exteriors of the posts, legs andrails are entirely clean, and a tinished installation is achievedwithout need for further work other than a final wiping off of theexteriors to remove soil accumulated during installation.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what isconceived to be a practical and effective embodiment, it is recognizedthat departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention,which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to beaccorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and allequivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support ofLetters Patent is:

l. A tubular structure comprising tubular post memebers and tubularrails of the same outside diameter, a tubular leg member for each postmember of the same diameter as said post member, one of said membershaving a recess therein of shape complementary to the shape of theexterior of an adjacent joining portion of the other of said members, acylindrical retainer of exterior diameter substantially the same as theinterior diameter of said members, one end of the retainer and themember having the recess being anchored to the other member by the sameinterior weldment, the other end of said retainer having a portionthereof protruding for reception of an end of one of said rails, bothsaid members having in assembled condition a clear and uninterruptedexterior surface exclusive of said recess.

2. A tubular structure comprising tubular posts and tubular rails of thesame outside diameter with all anchoring welds applied to the interiorcomprising a tubular leg for the top of each post having the sameoutside diameter as the post, means forming a hole in one side of theleg of diameter equal to the outside diameter of the post and extendinginwardly to a distance substantially equal to one half the diameter, acylindrical retainer having an outside diameter substantially equal tothe inside diameter of the leg, one end portion of the retainerextending into the leg to about a position-of abutment with the post andthe other end portion being exposed beyond the adjacent end of the leg,and a weldment at the interior only of said leg anchoring said leg andsaid retainer jointly to the post whereby to present an exterior free ofweldment for reception a rail end applied over the exposed other end ofsaid retainer.

3. A tubular structure as in claim 2 wherein for an intermediate postthere is a cylindrical retainer at each end of the leg and an interiorweldment jointly securing each retainer and the leg to the post.

4. A tubular structure as in claim 2 wherein there is a tubularmidposition leg of outside diameter equal to the outside diameter of thepost and at a location intermediate opposite ends of the post, one endof said midposition leg having a notch therein of shape complementary tothe exterior of the leg for a distance of one half the outsidecircumference, a cylcylindrical retainer of outside diametersubstantially equal to the inside diameter of the midposition leg, saidcylindrical retainer and said midposition leg being jointly anchored tothe post by a single interior weldment, for reception of the end of amidposition rail.

5. A tubular structure as .in claim 4 wherein there is a midposition legon each diametrical side of the post and a cylindrical retainer in eachmidposition leg, both said midposition legs and respective retainersbeing each jointly anchored to the post by a single interior weldment.

6. A tubular structure as in claim 1 wherein said rails comprise hollowtubular elements with square cut ends.

7. A tubular structure as in claim 5 wherein all said rails compriseeach a hollow tubular element with square cut ends, and of uniformcontinuous inside and outside diameter.

1. A tubular structure comprising tubular post memebers and tubular rails of the same outside diameter, a tubular leg member for each post member of the same diameter as said post member, one of said members having a recess therein of shape complementary to the shape of the exterior of an adjaCent joining portion of the other of said members, a cylindrical retainer of exterior diameter substantially the same as the interior diameter of said members, one end of the retainer and the member having the recess being anchored to the other member by the same interior weldment, the other end of said retainer having a portion thereof protruding for reception of an end of one of said rails, both said members having in assembled condition a clear and uninterrupted exterior surface exclusive of said recess.
 2. A tubular structure comprising tubular posts and tubular rails of the same outside diameter with all anchoring welds applied to the interior comprising a tubular leg for the top of each post having the same outside diameter as the post, means forming a hole in one side of the leg of diameter equal to the outside diameter of the post and extending inwardly to a distance substantially equal to one half the diameter, a cylindrical retainer having an outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the leg, one end portion of the retainer extending into the leg to about a position of abutment with the post and the other end portion being exposed beyond the adjacent end of the leg, and a weldment at the interior only of said leg anchoring said leg and said retainer jointly to the post whereby to present an exterior free of weldment for reception a rail end applied over the exposed other end of said retainer.
 3. A tubular structure as in claim 2 wherein for an intermediate post there is a cylindrical retainer at each end of the leg and an interior weldment jointly securing each retainer and the leg to the post.
 4. A tubular structure as in claim 2 wherein there is a tubular midposition leg of outside diameter equal to the outside diameter of the post and at a location intermediate opposite ends of the post, one end of said midposition leg having a notch therein of shape complementary to the exterior of the leg for a distance of one half the outside circumference, a cylcylindrical retainer of outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the midposition leg, said cylindrical retainer and said midposition leg being jointly anchored to the post by a single interior weldment, for reception of the end of a midposition rail.
 5. A tubular structure as in claim 4 wherein there is a midposition leg on each diametrical side of the post and a cylindrical retainer in each midposition leg, both said midposition legs and respective retainers being each jointly anchored to the post by a single interior weldment.
 6. A tubular structure as in claim 1 wherein said rails comprise hollow tubular elements with square cut ends.
 7. A tubular structure as in claim 5 wherein all said rails comprise each a hollow tubular element with square cut ends, and of uniform continuous inside and outside diameter. 